OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Sonny Gray #54 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Sonny Gray #54 of the Oakland Athletics...

Image 2 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after striking out against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles...

Image 3 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Josh Donaldson #20 and Eric Sogard #28 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates together after the game against the Baltimore Orioles at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Josh Donaldson #20 and Eric Sogard #28 of...

Image 4 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Eric Sogard #28 of the Oakland Athletics hits a single against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Eric Sogard #28 of the Oakland Athletics...

Image 5 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Oakland Athletics hits a sacrifice fly ball for an RBI against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Oakland Athletics...

Image 6 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: John Jaso #5 of the Oakland Athletics hits an RBI single against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: John Jaso #5 of the Oakland Athletics hits...

Image 7 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Eric Sogard #28 of the Oakland Athletics scores a run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Eric Sogard #28 of the Oakland Athletics...

Image 8 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Sean Doolittle #62 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates with John Jaso #5 after the game against the Baltimore Orioles at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Sean Doolittle #62 of the Oakland Athletics...

Image 9 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the Oakland Athletics steps on second base for a double ahead of a tag from Ryan Flaherty #3 of the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the Oakland...

Image 10 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Craig Gentry #3 of the Oakland Athletics slides into third base ahead of a tag from J.J. Hardy #2 of the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Craig Gentry #3 of the Oakland Athletics...

Image 11 of 11

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 20: Sean Doolittle #62 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at O.co Coliseum on July 20, 2014 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

At 24, he's the youngest member of Oakland's rotation by nearly five years, yet Sonny Gray has emerged as the A's stopper.

Following Oakland losses this year, Gray is 8-1 with a 1.59 ERA, and his thrifty ways helped the A's to a 10-2 victory over the Orioles on Sunday at the Coliseum. The A's improved their major-league-best record to 61-37, but the Angels remained 1 1/2 games behind them after a comeback win over the Mariners.

"It's big games, coming off a loss," Gray said. "I know going in, it's games I really want to put up a good performance and get the team on track with a win. I think everyone is really conscious of it. Doing that I feel can be a little boost to the team."

Over his past six starts, Gray is 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA, and in July, he is 4-0 with an 0.95 ERA - Pitcher of the Month-type stuff. He allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings Sunday, one of the runs unearned because of an error by Jed Lowrie in the seventh.

On Sunday, Gray said he felt the effects of the All-Star break layoff a bit. He wasn't as sharp early, but once the A's started racking up some runs, he was able to settle in some. "I could take a deep breath and really start attacking guys, let them put it in play," Gray said.

The offense definitely perked up Sunday, as Oakland took the series with the AL East leaders two games to one. Stephen Vogt led the charge with three hits and a walk, John Jaso had two hits and drove in two runs and Yoenis Céspedes had two hits, including his first extra-base hit in 19 games.

Oakland had averaged more than five runs per game in each of the first three months of the season, but entered Sunday averaging 3.53 runs per game in July. It was the team's first double-digit extravaganza since June 17.

The A's struck right away, with Coco Crisp starting things with a single and Jaso tripling him home. Jaso scored on a wild pitch by Kevin Gausman. The last time Gausman faced the A's, on June 7, he allowed four hits and one run in seven innings.

"He pretty much dominated our lineup last go-around," A's third baseman Josh Donaldson said. "We had some good at-bats, were able to get it going and throughout the game continued to grind it out."

Donaldson gave Oakland a 3-0 lead in the third with a sacrifice fly that had many of the Orioles confused. Adam Jones, who caught the ball, started running off the field along with several teammates, all of them thinking it was the final out of the inning.

"When it happened, it was one of those things. I didn't know if the scoreboard was wrong," Donaldson said. "I went up there, thought there was one out, like, 'OK, sac fly.' Then I saw him running off and I was like (laughing) 'I hope that's a sac fly!' That's a bad feeling for anybody."

"It looked like the whole team was coming off," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's amazing how one guy can affect everyone out there. ... Something where one guy does something and everyone follows the lead. It was a little odd."

The one downer for the day for Oakland: defense. The A's made three errors, including one by second baseman Eric Sogard, his first in 63 games.